Romanesque nightmares: The Fuentidueña Chapel and a bunch of frescoes from San Baudelio de Berlanga

Covetotop has never been to “The Cloisters” (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

But Covetotop has an Internet connection

The other day, Covetotop visited the amazing MET-The Cloisters website.

And there he found the picture of a beautiful apse, and the following information, concerning what the MET calls “002 The Fuentidueña Chapel” (Museum map here):

“Apse, 1175–1200

Spanish; from the Church of San Martin, Fuentidueña, Segovia

Limestone

Exchange Loan from the Government of Spain, 1958

The church from which this apse comes was probably part of a castle complex, built by Christians engaged in the reconquista … To accommodate the reconstructed apse, which comprises 3,300 stone blocks, the former Special Exhibition Room was partially demolished. The new gallery, which opened to the public in 1961, was designed to simulate a single-aisle nave with no projecting transepts, a plan characteristic of twelfth-century Segovian architecture.”

Intrigued, willing to know more about the above mentioned “Exchange Loan from the Government of Spain, 1958″, Covetotop took a daring decision: to visit the real “twelfth-century Segovian architecture”.

Hence he went to Fuentidueña (province of Segovia, Spain), where he certainly found an old castle complex …

The adventurous Covetotop crossed those phantasmagoric walls …

And there he found the solitary remains of a church …

- Oh my God! -our intelligent hero exclaimed- That must be the famous “Church of San Martin, 1175–1200, limestone, exchange Loan from the Government of Spain, 1958!”

Yes, it was the Church of San Martín.

The depressing view compelled the sensitive Covetotop to dash in search of something beautiful to refresh his soul … and he found it just a few steps away, in the very same medieval village of Fuentidueña:

That’s the Church of San Miguel (12th-13th centuries).

- Thanks God there has been no exchange loan here -mused Covetotop.

- Yeah!

- Who said yeah?

Silence.

Covetotop searched the surroundings for the source of the creepy voice he had heard…

Apparently nobody was there, but suddenly … he found the source, or sources, to better say it, on the church façade:

The surprised Covetotop wanted to know more about San Baudelio and the ludicrous “Exchange Loan from the Government of Spain, 1958”, but apparently it was lunch time at the Church of San Miguel façade …

So, Covetotop thought he’d rather run away as fast as possible …

- Their cousins from Pecharromán? Mmmm … I guess those kind capitals were talking about the Romanesque Church of San Andrés, in the little village of Pecharromán (province of Segovia). It is just a ten minutes ride from Fuentidueña; so, let’s go to Pecharromán and let’s ask those Romanesque cousins about the mysterious business between Spain and USA concerning the apse from San Martín and the frescoes from San Baudelio. What a mess! –thought the intrepid, intelligent and sensitive Covetotop.

On his way to Pecharromán, Covetotop decided to make a brief stop by the wonderful Hermitage of San Vicente, another Romanesque jewel of the surroundings, just to take an atmospheric pic for this post …

Covetotop arrived in Pecharromán in a few minutes, where he visited the Church of San Andrés:

- Do any of you know anything about the mysterious business between Spain and USA concerning the apse from San Martín de Fuentidueña and the frescoes from San Baudelio de Berlanga? -Covetotop asked a group of little demons …

He was about to go away, when some friendly voices stopped him …

   

Covetotop asked the dragon-man for help and yes, he knew it all ..

- Thank you Mr. Dragon-man. Thank you monsters. Now I know what happened. And now I am willing to visit that ancient and solitary pre-Romanesque hermitage of San Baudelio. It’s a long ride to the province of Soria, but I have a motorcycle and I guess I’m there in two hours … -said Covetotop

Covetotop explained to those nice medieval folks what a motorcycle is and he said good-bye.

Two hours later, Covetotop found the Hermitage of San Baudelio de Berlanga in the middle of the beautiful Sorian countryside …

-What a strange building; it is really old, but it looks like an ultra-modern one. It is almost a cube. Let’s go in it! –thought the sagacious Covetotop.

Covetotop entered the cubical hermitage and … he was amazed: almost every exposed surface (the ceilings, floors, walls, ribs, squinches, central column and oratory) had remains of paintings. No doubt, the hermitage was completely ornamented with frescoes … long time ago.

The architectural structure was extremely original too.

- What a strange mix of sadness and awe I’m experiencing here –thought the audacious, sensitive, intelligent etc. Covetotop.

He also took some pics for his little bunch of loyal readers. Here they are:

Apart from feeling sadness and awe, Covetotop was very hungry. Hence he went to Berlanga de Duero, a village located not far away from the hermitage, in search of a restaurant.

On his way to the restaurant, he was impressed by the big and wonderful Gothic-Renaissance church known as “Colegiata de Santa María del Mercado” (1526-1530):

On the Colegiata wall there was an inscription concerning one of the illustrious sons of the Village of Berlanga de Duero: Fray Tomás de Berlanga (1487–1551). He was a naturalist, diplomat, adventurer and the fourth bishop of Panama. According to Wikipedia, he sailed to Peru, his ship stalled when the winds died and strong currents carried him out to the Galápagos Islands, which he thus discovered on March 10, 1535. He sent an account of the adventure and discovery to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain.

Covetotop is a great discoverer too. He discovered a very good restaurant in Berlanga de Duero, named “Casa Vallecas”, which he strongly recommends to his friends.

It is extremely improbable that any of the Covetotop’s loyal virtual friends (which happen to live in very distant galaxies like USA or Australia, or in closer ones like Italy, UK or France …) ever get lost in such a remote and little known wonder as the province of Soria, but just in case you visit the old village of Berlanga de Duero, and you want to enjoy an outstanding Castilian lunch, follow these indications:

Reference point: Castle of Berlanga …

This is the restaurant’s door …

This is what Covetotop ate …

- Yeah!

Related articles

• Sacramenia: Citizen Kane’s dream and other Spanish Romanesque Art nightmares (Part One) (covetotop.wordpress.com)

Sacramenia: Citizen Kane’s dream and other Spanish Romanesque Art nightmares (Part One)

Once upon a time there was an American multimillionaire called Citizen Kane, I mean, William Randolph Hearst …

He was willing to build an awesome house, full of priceless treasures …

The eccentric multimillionaire wanted an authentic Spanish Romanesque Monastery in his garden. Hence, he sent his servants to Spain, in search of a Cistercian monastery located not far away from the tiny village of Sacramenia, Segovia.

It was Anno Domini 1925 …

Anno Domini 2013: The brave Covetotop finds on the Internet (University of Florida website) the following lines about a very special building:

“New buildings go up in Miami every day, on every block it seems. Each one tries to outdo the next. But tucked away in a quiet North Miami Beach neighborhood is one building that has them all beat with its claim to fame.

The St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church, known as North Miami Beach’s Ancient Spanish Monastery, is the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere …

Today the monastery is a popular spot for photo and movie shoots, wedding ceremonies and receptions. In the lush gardens and quiet courtyards, where monks may once have sat in prayer, brides in flowing white gowns pose for pictures and open-air parties are hosted under the stars.”

The so-called “North Miami Beach’s Ancient Spanish Monastery” is the 12th century Monastery of Sacramenia. It took a lot of time and a lot of money to put the Monastery stones back together in American soil. In 1953 Time magazine called it “the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history.”

Notwithstanding the above, that tourist attraction is not a complete monastery. Citizen Kane’s servants could not dismantle nor ship to America the Monastery’s church, which is still in its original, lonely and beautiful location: the countryside of Sacramenia.

Today Covetotop is paying tribute to Sacramenia (province of Segovia, Spain) and the solitary remains of its “Ancient Spanish Monastery”.

Here it is:

Visiting this breathtaking sacred space, I couldn’t help experiencing a strange mix of sadness and happiness, awe and shame …

Three miles away from the monastery is Sacramenia. This Castilian village is protected by a hill.

The hill is protected by a little Romanesque hermitage: San Miguel (12th century)

Apparently, nobody protects the old San Miguel hermitage …

Sad, tired and hungry, the daring Covetotop stopped by “Asador Maribel”, in Sacramenia. Certainly, this house is not a Romanesque or Gothic masterpiece. It is just a butcher shop with a humble but very cozy restaurant. They simply serve the best lamb dishes I have ever had in the old Kingdom of Castile.

I ordered a simple salad (ultra fresh veggies) and some “chuletitas de cordero” (lamb ribs). The good humor and sympathy of Luisa (this restaurant has two owners: María and Luisa), the outstanding ribs I had and the “Ribera del Duero” red wine I drank, it all made me happy again …

I abandoned Sacramenia singing and dancing, ready to spend the afternoon exploring the plethora of medieval gems that abound in this area, so far away from it all. But the sad expression of some Romanesque monsters put me in alarm: Another Spanish Romanesque nightmare?

To be continued …

Aigua Xellida and the handsome fisherman

Aigua Xellida, also spelled Aigua Xelida, is a very little cove located not far away from the village of Tamariu (Costa Brava, Baix Empordà, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain, Europe, planet Earth)

“Hermós” was the Catalan nickname of a very wise and very ugly fisherman who lived alone and happy in this secluded cove a long time ago. The word “Hermós” can be translated into English as “Handsome”.

Hermós had a good friend: Josep Pla.

Josep Pla was a writer … an outstanding writer.

This is the Aigua Xellida cove:

These are Mr. Josep Pla (right) and Mr. “Hermós” (left), in a picture taken circa 1930 (Note: Covetotop is not the author of that 1930 b/w pic; he just scanned it in 2013 for this post):

And these are some of the Josep Pla’s words about Aigua Xellida and his friend “Hermós”, as they appear in his short story “Un viatge frustrat” (“A frustrated journey”):

“I used to go as a pilgrim to Aigua Xellida.

It was not easy to get there. The paths had grown over and despite being a mere half hour’s walk from Tamariu, access was difficult. But it was worth making a bit of an effort. The small cove was of a pale carmine hue touched by the shadow of the pine branches. Hermós lived there, with a small boat and a few fishing lines. The solitude was total.

Thinking back over my meetings with this man, I have reached the conclusion that the core of his personality was, despite his illiteracy, the solid culture that he possessed. His real name was Sebastià Puig and he descended from one of the oldest families of Palagrugell: Can Cuca de Vilaseca. Physically, he seemed an anthropopithecus …”

Josep Pla also wrote about his good friend Hermós and the Aigua Xellida cove in the most beautiful, funny, authentic and entertaining touristic guide I have ever read: The Costa Brava Guide (Pic below: three guides by Mr. Pla, vol 30 of the complete edition of Josep Pla’s works) …

Today Aigua Xellida is not a secluded cove. The old and difficult path that Josep Pla transited so many times to visit his friend Hermós has been transformed into a paved little road.

And there are a few houses around.

Hermós abandoned that cove and this world many years ago.

Josep Pla died on April 23, 1981.

The other day I wandered through Aigua Xellida and its immediate surroundings in the utmost solitude, with my camera in hand. I just wanted to share with my little bunch of loyal readers a few pics of this tiny and beautiful corner of the Mediterranean Sea.

The sun was shining high on the horizon. A weak and mild “Garbí” wind -SW- was blowing, bringing to me pine and rosemary scents.

Sat on a rock, overwhelmed by the contemplation of the immense sea, breathing that purest air, I heard something coming from the apparently lonely Aigua Xellida beach …

It was the sound of two male voices speaking in the old Catalan language … and laughter … mixed with the whispery Garbí wind … From the distance, I could barely understand what those two men were talking about … Something about dozens of grilled sardines, a sailing boat, the wind, the sun, a journey, Heaven …

Here below you can see the pics I took that wonderful day:

 

A little random tour of Empordà: mountains, medieval villages and an onion cake

Blogging about such a beautiful region as Empordà is very easy. One day the blogger can visit any of its charming Mediterranean villages, like Tamariu, drink a coffee, take some photos by the beach, and the post-of-the-day is almost finished. The blog’s author (that’s me) only has to add his nonsensical musings.

Any other day, if the blog’s author deems appropriate to change the blog’s mood, he drives his car for a while through the deep countryside, from the Empordà’s coast (called “Costa Brava”) to the interior, hopping from village to village, camera in hand. If he is hungry, he has lunch at any restaurant serving local food, takes some pics, and the post-of-the-day is almost finished. The blog’s author (that’s me) only has to add his nonsensical musings.

Today we are following the latter plan. Come with me.

The impressive Pyrenees Mountains are the perennial background setting of any excursion through Empordà (pic above). They mark the border between Spain and France.

Medieval architecture prevails in all these little villages, like Vulpellac:

Canapost has a very interesting church: Sant Esteve. Its primitive structure is Pre-Romanesque (9th century). The church was enlarged and completed in the Romanesque period (12th century). In plain words, it is an old little church:

These are the remains of the Benedictine monastery of Sant Miquel de Cruïlles (11th century), in the mini-village of Cruïlles:

That village on top of a hill is Pals:

Beware of the castle. It is full of phantoms (Torroella del Montgrí Castle, 14th century):

Sant Mori is another old village. It has a Gothic palace (15th century):

The medieval feeling is so strong in Sant Mori, that some times your brain can lie to itself, but you know at heart that you are not in the Dark Ages; you are living in the 21st century … hence modern locals don’t move around in horses … Do they?

There is a clock on that tower … and an ultra-light airplane is crossing the Sant Mori’s sky … No doubt; these are not the Middle Ages:

Sant Mori is located very close to a river called “Fluviá”. If we follow this river downstream, towards the sea, soon we arrive to another medieval village: Sant Miquel de Fluviá.

Sant Miquel de Fluviá has a quite impressive Romanesque church. It is fortified. Originally it was part of a Benedictine monastery (only the church has survived), dependent of another monastery located in France, named Saint Michel de Cuxa. Sant Miquel (this one) was built at the turn of the 11th century:

The medieval feeling is strong in Sant Miquel de Fluviá too, but don’t let your brain lie itself … Modern locals don’t move around in horses in this village … Do they?

Not far away from Sant Miquel de Fluviá is the charming Sant Tomàs de Fluviá (11th-12th centuries; great medieval frescoes decorate this church’s interiors):

Not far away from Sant Miquel de Fluviá and from Sant Tomàs de Fluviá is …

… Torroella de Fluviá. In this village you can find one more Romanesque church, called Sant Cebrià (12th century):

The original Romanesque door is closed … It’s lunch time …

The Empordanese countryside makes me very hungry.

This land produces outstanding food. I feel like eating onion cake … Let’s follow the Fluviá river upstream, towards the neighboring “comarca” (region) named Pla de l’Estany. We are going to Orfes village, where there is a restaurant named “La Barretina” which servers traditional Catalan food …

This is my first course (onion cake, pic below), and the end of this post. Yum!

Related articles:

Little gems from the Middle Ages

Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees

Tamariu, white and blue

Tamariu is a little Mediterranean village located at the heart of the Costa Brava (Baix Empordà, Catalonia, Spain, Europe, Earth)

It is completely surrounded by pine-trees and sea. Take my word for granted: it has no escape. Since I was a child, I have seen this tiny village located at the very same geographical spot. Curious, isn’t it?

And what a wonderful location is that.

It is a cove.

And what a cove!

As my three or four loyal followers may well know, Covetotop needs a coffee in order to blog properly. Caffeine helps me to keep my obtuseness-rate within admissible limits. Hence …

Yum! The morning coffee tastes gloriously in Tamariu. Now let’s blog about it.

Tamariu’s main street is half-moon shaped because it borders the beach, which is half-moon shaped too. At night, the beach and the main street mantain the very same half-moon shape, but the Moon doesn’t, because it is a little bit crazy.

Mundane cars aren’t allowed in this charming promenade. Only traditional boats can park here.

No discotheques. No DJs. No fast food. No luxury shops. Tamariu is simply superb.

The charming promenade has some charming restaurants facing the Mediterranean Sea.

It’s extremely rare to find American tourists venturing this far. Non-European travellers tend to focus their attentions on the neighboring Provence or the French Riviera. So I guess these Americans (pic below) most probably belong to the CIA, because top-notch intelligence systems are needed in order to decide to visit this region rather than our famous French neighbors. Or perhaps they are regular readers of Covetotop. Who knows? Very smart people anyway.

This is a good place to enjoy the typical “paella”.

Fish is always fresh and delicious in Tamariu’s restaurants.

Seven or eight sardines grilled with a pinch of garlic and parsley, accompanied by a bottle of white Empordanese wine and happiness is guaranteed.

But drink with moderation.

If you ever cross your limits of sardine & wine consumption and you begin to see fishes everywhere … I mean, if you see fishes on the rocks …

… or if you see fishes on the walls …

… perhaps the time has arrived for you to cool down your sardinistic happiness and to take a refreshing bath …

Refreshing baths are always at hand in Tamariu …

There are plenty of corners around Tamariu ideally suited to refresh you …

Very beautiful corners …

I’m about to finish this post and Tamariu is still here, under my feet, in the very same location. Curious, isn’t it?

I know it may sound silly and puerile, but since I was a child I have a secret fear: that Tamariu one day may fly away from this hectic world and join the tranquil and magnificent Neptune’s Realm. It’s so close to it …

 

The Best Restaurant in the World: El Celler de Can Roca

The great Covetotop is glad to announce to his wise and loyal trillions of followers worldwide that this blog is trustworthy.

Very trustworthy.

Poorly written, but very trustworthy.

Ok.

Last year (April 23, 2012, to be precise) the great Covetotop posted here this pompous and startling thing:

“The Best Restaurant in the Galaxy: El Celler de Can Roca”

One year later, the whole planet acknowledges what Covetotop said in that premonitory post.

Yesterday, April 29, 2013, the most prestigious international gastronomic magazine -“Restaurant”- has declared “El Celler de Can Roca” the best restaurant in the world.

Really.

The award was granted in London (U.K.). Yesterday night.

Here you have the 2013’ official list: www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/

And here below you have the best chef of the world, Mr. Joan Roca (left), with the best blogger of this blog, the great Covetotop (right):

Today, half the gastronomic world is wondering … El Celler what? Can Rock? Where the hell is that?

My trillions of wise and loyal readers know it all. Last year they read “The Best Restaurant in the Galaxy: El Celler de Can Roca” on this very blog …

If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?

Ha ha ha!

Yum!

 

The coastal path of Empúries (Costa Brava)

This post is about a lazy stroll by the beach.

This post is about a lazy stroll through ancient history.

This post is about Empúries, Costa Brava (Catalonia, Spain)

Kitesurfing is a surface water sport in which practitioners put their lives at risk going from point A to point B on a surfboard, harnessed to a kite propelled by the wind. When they reach point B, they turn back to point A, then they go to point B again, then to point A, to B, to A … successively until they fall exhausted or a strong gust of wind carry them away to another continent and hasta la vista baby.

I took the kitesurfing pic below from the top of a dune (with-ultra-zoom) on the outskirts of the medieval village of Sant Martí d’Empúries:

That long and windy beach that stretches from Sant Martí d’Empúries to the mountains (North) is called Sant Pere Pescador beach. Those mountains are the last peaks of the Pyrenees range. The liquid thing is the Mediterranean Sea.

Ok. That’s enough for the preamble. Let me drink my morning coffee and I’ll show you the awesome coastal path of Empúries …

Yum!

Our stroll through ancient history begins at the Sant Martí d’Empúries church …

This is a very little village: roughly 60 inhabitants. And it is vey old. It was an inhabited place since the arrival of the foceus Greeks in the 6th century BC (Note: the 60 modern inhabitants of this village are not the same who arrived here in the 6th century BC)

Such an old village is half ruins …

… half restaurants …

Anyway, it’s a very charming village facing the Mediterranean Sea.

From this medieval village begins a walk through a most glorious arrangement of pine-trees, Mediterranean plants, flowers, sand dunes, secluded beaches and ancient Greek and Roman ruins.

Let’s go …

The promenade is very easy to follow. It is flat, comfortable, flanked by some pine-trees willing to protect you from the Helios’ rage.

Two brave villagers are taking a Mediterranean bath …

Walking on sand is healthy …

In this corner you can swim protected by a 2000 years old wall (ruins of the old Roman harbor)

In Empúries there is an archaeological site where you can swim in 26 centuries of history too:  The Palaiopolis or “Old Town”, founded by Greek settlers; the Neapolis or “new town” also Greek; the Roman city, founded in 195 BC by the Roman Empire, on the place of a native settlement that was known as Indike … All this history in just one single spot: Empúries.

If you want more reliable info about the history of Empúries than that offered by Covetotop, visit this link.

If you plan to visit the archaeoligical site, you can visit its official webpage here.

If you want to follow the amazing coastal path of Empúries wearing a pair of “espadrilles” (traditional Catalan shoes), ideally suited to visit ancient ruins, medieval villages and sandy dunes, you can visit this store.

There are no private beaches in Spain. If you feel like taking a refreshing bath, you can do it any time, anywhere along this beautiful Mediterranean shore.

High season (July-August) attracts lots of tourists to this little paradise. Hence, some signs are designed to be easy to understand by aliens from any planet …

Empúries is very special. I mean … this beach has its earthly share of sand and sea, of course. Like so many other beaches of the world, it enjoys the visit of the naked sun most of the days. Other days, just a few, the sun comes to Empúries dressed with black and white clouds …

But Empúries is not an ordinary beach … There is so much history here …

Our promenade ends (or starts) at the fishing village of L’Escala. This walk can take half an hour or half a life, depending on your physical condition and on your capacity to stand in awe in front of nature and ancient ruins.